W Network
W Network | |
---|---|
W Network logo. | |
Launched | January 1, 1995 |
Owned by |
Moffat Communications (1995–January 2001) Shaw Media (January-March 2001) Corus Entertainment (March 2001–present) |
Picture format |
480i (SDTV) (1995–present) 1080i (HDTV) (2011–present) |
Country | Canada |
Broadcast area |
National Worldwide |
Headquarters | Toronto, Ontario |
Formerly called | Women's Television Network (1995–2002) |
Sister channel(s) |
Cosmopolitan TV Oprah Winfrey Network Cooking Channel ABC Spark CMT Food Network HGTV YTV Treehouse TV Teletoon |
Timeshift service |
W Network East W Network West |
Website | W Network |
Availability | |
Satellite | |
Bell TV |
Channel 602 (SD) Channel 1705 (HD) |
Shaw Direct |
567, 568 (SD) 79 / 597 (HD) |
Cable | |
Available on most Canadian cable systems | Check local listings, channels may vary |
IPTV | |
Bell Aliant Fibe TV |
Channel 274 (SD) Channel 426 (HD) |
Bell Fibe TV |
Channel 602 (SD) Channel 1705(HD) |
Bell MTS |
Channel 132 (East) (SD) Channel 133 (West) (SD) Channel 1132 (East) (HD) |
Optik TV |
Channel 9329 (West) (SD) Channel 329 (East) (HD) |
SaskTel |
Channel 100 (West) (SD) Channel 400 (East) (HD) |
VMedia | Channel 34 (HD) |
Zazeen | Channel 126 (HD) |
W Network (often shortened to W) is a Canadian English language Category A specialty channel, owned by Corus Entertainment. W Network is a general entertainment channel airing programs targeted at women.
The channel is available in two time shifted feeds, East (operating from the Eastern Time Zone) and West (operating from the Pacific Time Zone).
History
In June 1994, Linda Rankin, on behalf of a corporation to be incorporated, (later incorporated as Lifestyle Television (1994) Limited, principally owned by Moffat Communications) was granted a television broadcasting licence by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) to operate a channel called Lifestyle Television, described as offering "information and entertainment programming of particular interest to women."[1]
The channel subsequently launched on January 1, 1995 as Women's Television Network (WTN).[2] Like Moffat's other cable television operations, WTN was headquartered in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Linda Rankin served as the president of the network from its launch.
Programming on the network was originally largely focused on lifestyle programming that many had suggested was "feminist" in nature.[3] Such programming included female takes on traditionally male-dominated activities such as fishing and mechanics, with Natural Angler and Car Care, respectively. While other programs, such as Go Girl!, took a comedic approach at parodying typical female-targeted talk shows that discussed subjects such as beauty, fashion, etc.[3] Other programs included films, current affairs, and occasionally sports.
The channel suffered from low ratings in the beginning. Of the slew of new channels launched on January 1, WTN was initially the lowest rated channel on average.[4][5] Linda Rankin later resigned in August 1995 citing "differences in management philosophy".[6]
In December 2000, Shaw Communications announced it intended to purchase Moffat.[7] The deal was later closed in early 2001. Shaw announced in March 2001 that it would sell WTN to Corus Entertainment, a company that it spun off in 1999, for $205 million CAD (Shaw had primarily acquired Moffat for its cable television systems).[8] Once Corus took ownership of the channel, it moved operations from Winnipeg to Toronto in mid-January 2002, laying off 50 employees in the process.[9] Subsequently, Corus relaunched the network as "W" on April 15, 2002 with a more entertainment-oriented mix of recent dramas and movies. On the same date, Corus launched the west coast feed.[10]
In 2009, Corus Entertainment acquired SexTV: The Channel from CTVglobemedia, and relaunched the channel as W Movies — a spin-off of W Network focusing on films aimed towards women, on March 1, 2010.[11]
Since Fall 2017, W Network has re-oriented its programming towards scripted television series and movies. The majority of its lifestyle programming, including the Property Brothers franchise, was moved to HGTV Canada and Corus' other women and lifestyle networks.[12]
High definition
On August 3, 2011, W Network HD was launched as a high definition simulcast of W Network's standard definition Eastern time zone feed. The HD feed was added to Bell TV satellite and Bell Fibe TV channel lineups on March 23, 2012. It is also available on Eastlink, Telus TV and Shaw Direct. [13] On October 1, 2013, an HD feed for the Pacific time zone was launched on Shaw Cable.
Programming
W Network primarily broadcasts a mix of television dramas and films.[14] The network is best known for producing the Love It or List It and Property Brothers franchises, which are seen on HGTV in the United States.
Original series
- All for Nothing?
- Anna & Kristina's Grocery Bag
- The Bachelorette Canada
- Brother vs. Brother
- Property Brothers: Buying + Selling
- Cameron's House Rules
- Cash and Cari
- Candice Tells All
- Colour Confidential
- Come Dine with Me Canada
- Cupcake Girls
- Deal with It (Canadian TV series)
- Divine Design
- Game of Homes
- Grin and Build It
- Hockey Wives
- Inside the Box with Ty Pennington
- Love It or List It
- Love It or List It Vancouver
- Masters of Flip
- Maxed Out (TV series)
- Me, My House & I
- My House Your Money
- Property Brothers
- The Real Estate Adventures of Sandy & Maryse
- The Restaurant Adventures of Caroline & Dave
- Say Yes to the Dress Canada
- Shannon and Sophie
- Take This House and Sell It
- Tessa and Scott
- Undercover Boss Canada
- Who Lives Here?
References
- ↑ Decision CRTC 94-282 CRTC 1994-06-04
- ↑ Has WTN gone too soft? (Does anyone really mind?) Herizons 1997-03-22
- 1 2 Taddeo, Julie Anne, and Ken Dvorak. The Tube Has Spoken: Reality TV & History. University Press of Kentucky. Print
- ↑ Special Report: TV Specialty Services: New nets get qualified thumbs up Strategy Magazine 1995-10-02
- ↑ LIPSTICK IMPERIALISM AND THE NEW WORLD ORDER: WOMEN AND MEDIA AT THE CLOSE OF THE TWENTIETH CENTURY United Nations' Division for the Advancement of Women & Department for Policy Coordination and Sustainable Development December 1995
- ↑ Rankin departs WTN Playback Magazine 1995-08-28
- ↑ Cabler Shaw nabs Moffat Variety 2000-12-10
- ↑ Corus buying WTN, selling Family Channel CTV 2001-03-06
- ↑ Corus uproots WTN to Toronto, lays off 50 Playback Magazine 2001-11-26
- ↑ Corus Entertainment To Launch W, A Revitalized Women’s Television Network Channel Canada 2002-06-30
- ↑ "Corus shuttering Discovery Kids, will re-brand Sex TV and Drive-In Classics channels", CARTT.ca, September 29, 2009
- ↑ Fall TV 2017: Specialty targeting shifts Media in Canada, 2018-07-04
- ↑ TV Highlights
- ↑ Zap2it